Did a little day trip to Hikone on Lake Biwa from Nagoya, a place I'd been wanting to go for a long time and saw probably the last bit of snow I'll see in a long time! It started as I was walking toward the castle and continued semi-blizzarding on and off from then on. Got some beautiful views of the city and the lake in the snow. Also froze my fingers off a bit, but it was worth it!
I went onward from Nagoya to Kobe but I think I'll make a separate story for that one, since it's basically the end of my rail pass. To those considering the rail pass, I highly recommend it- it you have the funds. You travel in style, can make decisions at a moment's notice (if it's not a busy time/day) and just generally have freedom. That said, taking buses and/or unreserved trains would save you a lot of money, especially if you did overnight ones. At the expense of comfort, of course, but depends what your priorities are.
